UK adopts proposed global harmonised HbA1c measurement
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
From today, the UK is measuring HbA1c long-term blood glucose levels in diabetics in millimoles per mol (mmol/mol), as well as by percentage. The move is in response to calls by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) for all countries to harmonise HbA1c measurement, and so help all laboratories, worldwide, to compare results. For the next two years, the UK will use both units; from May 31 2011, it will use only the mmol/mol measurement. Diabetes UK is supporting the initiative with a converter tool on its website (diabetes.org.uk/HbA1c).